InfoGraphic: Understanding the Treatment Cascade

This interactive InfoGraphic explains the Treatment Cascade--a visual model that shows how the proportion of individuals living with HIV/AIDS with fully suppressed virus (i.e., those fully benefiting from HIV/AIDS therapy) cascades downward due to factors like not knowing one's HIV status or being in care inconsistently or not at all. In the U.S., only a small proportion of infected individuals in the United States (28 out of 100) whose virus is fully suppressed. The treatment cascade was first described in 2011 by Gardner, et. al. in Clinical Infectious Diseases and further examined by CDC in a 2012 study and described in this AIDS.GOV Blog.

This presentation (called Gardner Cascade for Smart People) was developed by the Office of HIV Planning, Philadelphia for use by the Philadelphia EMA Ryan White Part A Planning Council and the Philadelphia HIV Prevention Group.

Below is a video on the Treatment Cascade, developed with support of Gilead, illustrating how improvements along each step of the treatment cascade can help achieve an AIDS-free generation in the United States.